Saturday 30 June 2007

What's your sign?

Mmmmm skimming the current 24 responses at Sunday Scribblings I’m astounded. There’s only one other who’s owned up to being the same sign as Moi. A plethora of A’s, water people, ram’s and smatterings of other signs makes me wonder, am I part of a minority, am I really one of the chosen few or have the rest of us been killed off by people who couldn’t cope?

Frequently referred to as unique, complicated, funny, perfectionists, earthy, fortunate, blessed, ambitious, analytical, wise, witty, thorough, spiritual, adaptable, honest & loyal. Habitually darker insinuations are more fun but either way, we’re the pick of some people’s bunch …

Nit picky – why wouldn’t you tell your best friend she has spinach in her teeth or the guy sitting next to you on the bus that he stinks as you hand him that can of deodorant you always carry in your bag?
Never wrong – naturally all the answers lie within!
Over excited – what’s wrong with a touch of mania?
Taking on more than is manageable – so … I work better under stress?
An excellent eye for detail – that certainly doesn’t go with that!
Critical – not being critical just giving an opinion!
Honest – what I lack in bluntness I make up in finesse!

We’re the only sign represented by a female and have very few real friends because we give extra special value to friendship to which most other people cannot commit.

Adorer of lists, knower of all, guess who’s currently in the minority at Sunday Scribblings?

An Icon on an Icon ...

Sunday 24 June 2007

Cat Sitting ...

This is the amazing cat 'One Down' aka 'Matey' I am currently feeding him and talking to him. He was the lifelong mate of my upstairs neighbour who I discovered had died. These two were inseparable. One Down with three legs, is king of the neighbourhood. He was rescued by the local police, after being hit by a car, repaired by a generous vet and fortunately, adopted by a kind, gentle man who died alone, undiscovered for four days ... so sad!

Now One Down's an orphan. He's taken up residence at the front of the building, probably waiting for his Dad to return. I contemplated adoption, but this fella is way to big, too in charge and too in love with the outdoors for me - so for now I'm cat sitting, not inside, he's still waiting ...
I did bring him in for a visit - look at him posing on the flokati - what a fine three legged specimen he is ...



Tongue in Cheek.

One of the most very beautiful places to click on every day is Tongue in Cheek where the gorgeous Corey whisks you away in photo's and texts to places you can only dream of.

She posted about a the Secret of a beautiful French maiden. Corey asked for readers to try to guess the maiden's secret! Well I took up the challenge and received a mention as well ...

This marvellous exercise comes via a weekly challenge at Sunday Scribblings - what a lovely way to spend Sunday.

What a difference 14 days makes ...

Ooo La La is it fourteen days since I was last here.
So much has happened - all good - all exciting - all life changing.

A couple of weeks ago I listened to Kaffe Fasset and it was as if the top of my head had lifted off as images and ideas about the use of colour washed through my thoughts. I know I previously mentioned this and it's still foremost in my mind. Inspiration is brewing, ideas that had lay dormant burst into my mind, all those conformist rules of colour that had teetered in my mind since school days are banished.

The colour wheel, what a lot of rot, blue and green should never be seen, where did that comes from ?? Again I pondered whether the theoretical know alls had yet checked where the horizon met the sky prior to penning that ancient adage? Kaffe reminded us that children have the ability to use colour at will, yet society, the education system and life in general is set up to dictate the use of colour in a conformist way - says who???

How excellent it was to read Robin Atkins' comments in her book, One Bead at a Time that our creative force once we get to school, the emphasis turns more to making order ... so in our school years, for many of us, the creative side begins to shut down ...

Kaffe inspired me to rediscover the lost place in my soul - I am so over the theorists' traditional, expected, use of colour - life is venturing down another path for the creative me - I am so fortunate!
Watch this space !

Sunday 10 June 2007

THE BRO.



Little Willy, in Vietnam 1966, 103 Sig. Sqn.

10 June, 1946 - 27 October, 2001.

Yo Bro!

Saturday 9 June 2007

No more off colour ...

An explosion happened in my mind on Thursday! I heard about the beauty of colour, the need for the bold, the freedom of bright, the excitement, the mood changing, the visually exciting, how hues of colour can be life changing, alter my way of thinking and looking at life ... look out!

Society has deemed we should conform, especially the use of colour. Now I want pink, orange and red, together all in the one place! Compare the drawings of kids! Notice the way they use colour ... no rules, no conformity, no restrictions, yet as we grow we're expected to tone down!

We're told blue and green should never be seen, we're shown a colour wheel, we're taught that certain colours go with certain colours, usually by a teacher in a beige cardigan! My Grandma repeatedly told me "blue and green should never be seen". Why didn't I ask "when the the sky touches the horizon is that wrong"? I'm excited, I'm on the hunt for colour ...

Look at what elizabeth lundberg morisette does with found objects from other people ... visual feasts of colour.


The teeth on the zippers in my collection are chattering, they're scared ...

When in doubt wear the lot.

When in doubt wear the lot...love this, so gorgeous
day 210: bling on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Wednesday 6 June 2007

Junking your old Mobile or Computer

Talking about computers, as I was previously, I was close to throwing my dreaded thing from a tall building. If you get that feeling then STOP, DON'T ... Recycling computers, mobile phone and avoid weighing down the planet is the go.

Drop off unwanted mobile phones, any brand to your nearest
Telstra, Virgin, Crazy John's, Phone Zone, Optus, 3, or ANZ Bank Branch.

More than 402 tonnes of handsets, batteries and other accessories have been collected over the past seven years as part of Mobile Muster

In Sydney you can drop off computers, TVs, VCRs, and DVD players to Wesley E-Recycling, 13 Ryde Street, Rydalmere. phone: 8892 2880.

Planet Ark's online recycling guide provides a list of other electronic recycling services.

One brilliant idea is Freecycle at Yahoo. With groups worldwide, Australia, UK, USA, anyone can join, the stuff people give away is amazing - all toward NOT clogging up the world's landfill.

My computer's breathing a sigh of relief ...

Tuesday 5 June 2007

Computers - getting rid of a bug ...

I'm one of those people that can make something out of nothing, like turn 5 things from your pantry into a delectable meal, fit furniture into a space just by looking at the area, plus can conquer a myriad of other feats ... but when it comes to a computer I am totally without hope ... that was until today.

When I went in to do some computer housekeeping, you know remove the tenp Internet Folders, update the anti virus program etcetera ... somehow I stumbled on the words no-one ever wants to see 'trojan horse'. Yikes!! What made me more determined to fix the bleeding thing was when I found the infection was attached to the back up copy of an anti spyware program that had been installed by the local computer guy! I was livid!

Determination is a great motivater.

Into google I typed 'removing a virus' that led me to the How to Clean an Infected Computer on the Grisoft forum I printed out the three pages and I was away. It's taken me all day but the rewards are massive and to not have to pay some guy $80 to come and do it or worse still lugg it to a computer store, is even more rewarding.

The lesson's learnt are to be sure you have the following or something similar installed on your computer:
AntiSpyware
Ad-Aware
and for me the best Anti Virus Program - AVG ... which are all FREE!!!

Always remember to practise safe virus protection ... and most of all ... if the most unilliterate computer person, me, can do it, then YOU can to!!!

Saturday 2 June 2007

Luv-a-Duck ...NOT!

If you're a Vegetarian or Vegan - don't read on ...

Everyone who knows me knows I'm partial to a feast of duck! Duck salad at MINH , duck curry at THAI POTHONG, duck with ginger & shallots at a yummy, super fast, Thai eatery in Newtown where Veronica and I yearn to go more often.

So when I saw Luv-a-duck in my local butcher store I was ecstatic.

On Thursday night I followed the directions on the pack of Peking Duck Breast, accompanied with steamed baby bok choy and green beans whilst salivating at the delicious prospect.

On opening the packet I knew all was not as I expected. I'd never seen such a gi-normous duck breast, the sauce wasn't Peking it was a watery brownish concoction. OK, I thought, wait till you do the taste test. Two mouthfuls and it was in the bin. It was the most tasteless, contrived mix of compressed grey meat, no unique, gamey duck taste, more likely the sweepings off the duck manufacturing plant floor. Disgusting.

Next morning the also purchased Honey Roast Duck Legs along with my complaint went back to my butcher. He was concerned, offered a refund or an exchange for fresh duck breasts, a pack of two in a 120g pack... (interestingly not mentioned on the Luv-a-duck website) ... but ... Yay, I thought, this is the go!!

Tonight I scored the skin of the two breasts, spread a teaspoonful mix of St Dalfour Orange & Ginger Jam (the most luscious jam in the universe) and McCormicks Asian Wok Spices across the skin, placed them on foil on a tray, into the oven at 220 degrees for 20 minutes. No oil, as duck is usually fairly fatty!

When I removed the tray from the oven I was shocked to see the breasts swimming in liquid, 120 mls to be precise, as the photo shows.



My version of the duck, with steamed asian greens and baby corn was delish!

I've contacted the Luv-a-duck people, told them of my experience and questioned as to why I should pay for 120mls of liquid ... to be continued!

Friday 1 June 2007

2007 Bead Journal Project

Back in early May, Robin Atkins, on her Beadlust blog, asked if people would be interested in participating in a Bead Journal Project. Yay I was there in a flash, #58 to sign up.

The commitment was to bead a page a month for a year, your choice of theme, design, size, a totally individual project, to commence on June 1, 2007.

Today's the day, the size, the theme, the backing, the needle size, the beads, the decision to use thread or glue, how to cover the journal, decisions, decisions ... all decided, for now that is. If you're creative you'll know the whole lot will change as you go along!

225 beaders from around the world are taking part, how amazing is that? The mutual agreement is to not show your work till September 1. Some people have set up blogs to record their work - me, I'm in beading heaven and not bragging till then!

Socceroo Cuties.

Do your self a favour and check out out gorgeous Socceroos. Click on the numbered link at the top left hand side of the first photo. Gorgeous eye candy!

Farewell to Pearl.



Organising my blog made me decide it was time to post about Pearl.

The perfect pussy cat Pearl left for that big cattery in the sky on April 22, 2007, just three days short of a year since she came to live with me. Over a few weeks she began to lose weight, she'd moved out of the living room to a quieter spot, she grew more finicky with her food and overnight stopped drinking. Pearl had a tumour in her pancreas, the Vet said it was the size of a manadarin, pressing on her stomach, causing reflux. She'd always been a burpy little girl. The tumour had potentially metastisized to her liver, a growth was present there too. Astonishingly the Vet thought she was 10 years old - she carried her age well ... I miss her dreadfully!

Sad not to be The Mother of Pearl <^..^> xxx

p.s. Read about Pearl's arrival.
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